Your Hostage is Yelling
by SamCyberCat
Summary: Don Paolo is reminded why he usually kidnaps Flora instead of Luke.


Notes – Written based on a conversation I had with SmudDragon about why Luke never gets kidnapped. Set probably after Pandora's Box but isn't really specific. I'm sorry if Luke's accent is written too strongly too, it was my first try and I wanted to play with it a bit.

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"Just you wait 'til the professah gets 'is 'ands on you! Then you'll be sorry!"

Don Paolo thought of himself as quite a reasonable man. Well, reasonable to the extent that he spent almost every day of his life plotting the demise of a kindly professor who had an insufferable addiction to solving puzzles and helping people. But Layton deserved it and Don Paolo knew that his need for revenge was all Layton's fault. Beyond that he was a reasonable person.

"You're no match for 'im anyway; 'e'll just beat you again like he did the last hundred… no, million times!"

But there is a point where you can't be reasonable anymore.

It had been a long day. He'd felt that this current plot for revenge had been going quite well, but then Layton had to go and spoil it all again with his ability to somehow turn an old umbrella into an almost practical sword. It hadn't been the first time.

"Can you 'ear me? Hey! I'm talkin' to you, Don Dumbo!"

Once it was clear that his plan wasn't going to work out at all he decided to fall back on an old favourite of his – kidnapping. It was petty but he wasn't going to admit defeat just yet. The problem, however, was that he tended to go for Flora because she was such an easy target, but today the first person he'd managed to grab had been…

"Maybe your ears don't work like the rest of your rubbish inventions don't!"

…Luke Triton.

He was starting to realise why he had never kidnapped Luke before.

Putting the boy down, hurriedly making sure he was still tied up, Don Paolo hissed, "Would you be quiet, boy?"

"No way! I ain't gonna listen to someone like you! Why should I listen to you at all?" Luke shouted in response.

"Because you're giving me a headache!" Don Paolo shot back, and then remembered that talking too loud would give their hiding spot away. Lowering his voice he added, "It's such a pity that I ran out of rope before getting to your mouth."

Luke on the over hand didn't bother to keep his voice down; "An 'eadache's gonna be the last of your worries when the professah gets 'ere and sorts you out!"

Before Don Paolo had time to think up a witty comeback to that there was the sound of footsteps drawing closer.

"Luke, are you there?" came the concerned voice of Layton.

"Professah!" Luke chimed happily.

Quickly, Don Paolo tried to cover the boy's mouth with his hand, but Luke bit him hard for his troubles. The hand was removed with much swearing, not that it really made a difference since Layton had heard and made his way over.

"That's not the sort of language a gentleman should be using in any company, let alone a young boy's," commented Layton, watching his adversary shake his hand furiously.

"'e's used all sorts of foul language today, professah! Don Paolo ain't a gentleman like you," Luke agreed.

Nodding, Layton held out the umbrella towards Don Paolo, face grimly saying that he was against violence but could still hurt him in many different ways using this household object if he didn't get his apprentice back this very moment.

Don Paolo looked from the umbrella to the loud boy who would probably start ranting again if he resisted. It had been a very long day, his plans had ultimately failed, his head was throbbing and even if he won this fight he didn't think that making off with this particular hostage was a prize that he really wanted.

"You know what? You win, Layton. For this time only," he added that incase the professor would get any ideas about him being off the hook permanently, "Take the boy and go. You're lucky I don't feel like fighting you today!"

With that he was gone. A puff of smoke and his usual theatrical exit, just for the sake of it. When the smoke had died down Layton and Luke were alone in the room looking confused to say the least.

"Did you… wear him down somehow, Luke?" Layton asked, walking over to untie him.

Watching the ropes fall down around him, Luke answered, "I don't think so, professah. I was just tellin' 'im 'ow you are bettah them 'e is and that you'd sort 'im out good and propah."

"Hm, well… Whatever the reason I'm glad he won't be causing us anymore trouble today," Layton said thoughtfully.

Watching them leave from the rooftops, Don Paolo growled and clutched his head. That noisy boy's voice had gone right through him…

And he made a resolution right there –

From now on he would always bring enough rope to bind his hostages' mouths shut.


End file.
